Rigorous safety standards imposed by the Federal Aviation Agency on aircraft necessitates periodic inspection and annual licensing by certified inspectors to assure airworthiness. Many of the smaller aircraft employed in general aviation are equipped with exhaust system mufflers for reducing engine noise and further include an integral air heater for supplying heated air to the passenger cabin to provide the necessary comfort during flight. The potential safety hazard associated in such combined exhaust muffler cabin heater systems due to leakage of exhaust gases into the heating system requires rigorous inspection of the muffler components on scheduled intervals to make certain that no fractures or cracks have occurred which would result in leakage of exhaust gases into the cabin air heating system.
Aircraft muffler and heater assemblies of the types heretofore known are comprised of integrally welded assemblies of heat-resistant metal alloys which make inspection and repair of such assemblies exceedingly difficult and costly. In some instances, minor fractures and surface imperfections cannot be adequately repaired without a physical cutting of the assembly, requiring extensive rebuilding thereof at high cost. In some instances, minor defects cannot be satisfactorily repaired due to the inaccessibility thereof, necessitating its complete replacement with a new muffler assembly.
The present invention provides a muffler assembly which is readily disassemblable, whereby all critical areas are exposed for careful inspection and testing, and any fractures or defects found can be quickly and completely repaired, so as to restore the assembly to proper working condition and within prescribed safety standards.